The Wizard: From Zero-Ring Wizard to Almighty Lord.

Chapter 211 The Beautiful Empress
Chapter 211

The capital of the Kingdom of Eluria sits on a vast plain, a magnificent and imposing city.

Beneath the towering city walls, streets crisscross and are brightly lit.

Shops lined the street, with colorful flags and lanterns hanging from the eaves. The avenue was bustling with traffic and crowds, creating a lively and prosperous scene.

It is currently the Kingdom's National Day, and the festive atmosphere is strong, with laughter and joy filling every street and alley.

However, behind the prosperity lies a suffocating sense of oppression.

Amidst this festive atmosphere, undercurrents and hidden dangers simmered among the powerful nobles.

Taking advantage of the "legitimate" opportunity of the National Day holiday, the three most powerful dukes of the kingdom openly disregarded the dignity of the royal family and brazenly summoned a large number of nobles to discuss "political affairs".

Although on the surface it remained a banquet narrative, and the news had not leaked out, the intricate information network among the nobility had already spread throughout upper-class circles:
The conflict between the three grand dukes and the royal family had long since escalated to the point of near irreconcilability.

More importantly, each of the three dukes is backed by a powerful supernatural force, and if they were to unite, they would be able to crush the royal family.

As a result, nobles from all over the country expressed their support and joined the Grand Duke's camp without any hesitation, and almost no one remained loyal to the royal family.

Some are even secretly speculating that the throne of the Kingdom of Eluria may change hands after this banquet that lasts for several days.

If the situation were to be more respectable, perhaps a prince would be supported to succeed to the throne, with the three grand dukes serving as "regency";
However, if relations were to break down completely, His Majesty's bloodline would likely be completely eliminated, and a new monarch would be chosen from a collateral branch of the royal family.

……

Although the magnificent palace was decorated with lanterns and colorful fireworks, the atmosphere was extremely oppressive, devoid of any festive joy.

The entire palace was as silent as still water.

The knights, loyal to the royal family, were fully armed and guarded the palace so tightly that it was like an iron barrel, and not even a fly could get in.

Inside a magnificent, golden palace, the current emperor of the Kingdom of Eluria paced back and forth, his steps hurried and his expression increasingly grim.

His face was pale, and his eyes were filled with anxiety and fear.

Clearly, he had a vague premonition that his path to imperial power was likely coming to an end.

Just as His Majesty the Emperor was pacing anxiously back and forth in the hall, a report suddenly came from outside the door:

"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived."

Upon hearing this, a sense of calm flashed across his previously panicked eyes, and he abruptly turned to look at the entrance of the main hall.

The gauze curtain was slightly lifted, and with a waft of fragrance, a woman dressed in a magnificent empress's gown slowly entered the hall, surrounded by several beautiful maids.

The maids were all exceptionally beautiful, but among them, the empress's beauty was like the bright moon in the sky, making all the stars pale in comparison.

Compared to her, even the most outstanding looks seem ordinary.

Her skin was as white as snow, and her face was incomparably beautiful. She possessed natural beauty even without makeup, especially her pair of phoenix eyes, which were deep, lively, and captivating.

Her slightly pursed red lips seemed to forever hold a hint of sarcasm and aloofness, and her every move exuded an aura of superiority.

This renowned empress, even though she lived a secluded life in the palace, had already garnered widespread rumors among the nobility:
Stunning, powerful, and mysterious, she was the most beautiful woman in the kingdom's history.

As His Majesty the Emperor watched her enter, a moment of daze and intoxication flickered in his eyes.

But he quickly suppressed his emotions, strode forward, and maintained a proper distance.

"The three dukes, they are..."

He spoke in a low voice, his tone revealing barely concealed nervousness and a desire to please, even a hint of flattery.

Clearly, the relationship between this emperor and empress was not the "emperor favored by a beauty" that outsiders imagined; rather, it seemed more like the emperor was being controlled.

Those cold, elegant phoenix eyes fell upon him through the light veil. The Empress smiled slightly, her red lips parted slightly, and her tone was calm yet unquestionable:
“I know what they’re doing.”

“You need not be afraid. As long as I am still the Empress in this palace, your throne will not be shaken.”

"Unless there is accurate information, those three dukes... no, to be precise, those behind them will not make any rash moves."

As soon as he finished speaking, it seemed as if the gloom that had been hanging over the palace also lifted.

His Majesty the Emperor took a deep breath, and his expression finally calmed down, as if he had regained a glimmer of hope for survival.

He hesitated for a moment, but finally mustered the courage to raise his head and steal a glance at the graceful and stunning Empress beside him, the woman he had never truly "possessed".

"That person... could it really be..."

His voice was low and hesitant, and he had just uttered the first words when he suddenly felt a chill creep over him.

Her Majesty the Empress's captivating phoenix eyes slowly fell upon him, her gaze as sharp as cold stars, so piercing it was suffocating.

Immediately, a cold, clear voice escaped from her red lips:
"You don't need to know that much. You just need to be a good emperor, that's enough."

The moment her gaze locked onto him, His Majesty the Emperor's face turned deathly pale, a chill ran down his spine, and he quickly nodded, daring not to utter another word.

"Alright, you can leave now. I have some things to attend to."

With a wave of her hand and an unquestionable tone, the Empress dismissed the nominal ruler of the country, His Majesty the Emperor, from the council hall.

How could the latter dare to say "no"? He bowed his head and retreated, his figure even appearing somewhat flustered.

After the emperor left, the empress waved her hand, signaling all her personal maids to withdraw as well.

A moment later, she was left alone in the entire magnificent and luxurious council hall, which was empty and silent, as if even the air had frozen.

The empress, trailing her elaborate and heavy gown, slowly walked to the center of the hall.

She raised her head, her phoenix eyes were clear and cold, her expression serene, yet carrying a hint of unfathomable majesty.

"What exactly do you three want?"

Her red lips parted slightly, and her words echoed in the empty hall.

It was as if it were questioning the void, or as if it were warning some unseen entity.

She knew perfectly well that the seemingly impregnable and watertight palace was, in the eyes of some beings, nothing more than a mansion with its doors wide open.

It could even be said that every move within the palace was under their watchful eyes from beginning to end.

Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, the air in the hall subtly changed.

Subtle yet eerie fluctuations emerged from the void, a sudden breeze stirred, causing the gauze curtains to flutter, as if some hidden power was gathering in the world.

Her Majesty the Empress's long hair fluttered in the wind, her expression unchanged. She slowly reached out and gently stroked the warm, jade-like white bracelet on her wrist.

The next moment, three faint lights suddenly shone on the marble floor of the magnificent council hall.

The light flickered and distorted, as if connecting to another world.

As the three halos of light gradually faded, three blurry figures quietly emerged in the council hall.

Between the overlap of illusion and reality, the outline gradually becomes clear.

The first thing that appeared was an elderly man with white hair wearing a gray robe.

He had a gentle expression and wore reading glasses on his nose. At first glance, he looked like a learned scholar, or even an old professor engrossed in books in a library.

However, if a real wizard were standing in the temple at that moment, he would immediately notice it.

Three extremely obvious and terrifying waves of witchcraft emanated from the old man.

That's the unique aura of a level three archmage!

This white-haired old man was none other than Helen, the Great Wizard of the Spirit Eye Furnace.

But his identity goes far beyond that: he is the current head of the "Hai Xin Palace" and a staunch supporter of one of the three Grand Dukes.

Beside him, a tall wizard, resembling a cheetah, also appeared.

His eyes were sharp as a hawk's, and his muscles were bulging; even the thick robes couldn't conceal his robust physique. His name was Bodo, and like Helen, he was once a high-ranking wizard at the Spirit Eye Forge.

He is now the leader of the Crimson Lotus Party and one of the supporters of the three Grand Dukes.

The last person to appear was a slender woman.

She had long, silver-white hair and an eerie face. Apart from a pair of deep, ethereal eyes, she had no other facial features, resembling an unfinished doll statue.

Her name is Mona, the ruler of Silvermoon Castle, and she is also a third-level archmage.

In fact, at its peak, the Spirit Eye Forge had more than three Level 3 Archmages.

However, with the collapse of its power and the organization becoming a mere shell of its former self, many high-ranking wizards have scattered.

Today, only these three remain here and maintain contact.

A level three archmage holds a transcendent position in the wizarding world, and their word can determine life and death.

If a second-level wizard dared to utter a single disrespectful word in their presence...

What awaits him is likely a level three sorcery spell powerful enough to completely annihilate him.

Surprisingly, what they were facing was not a high-ranking wizard, nor an ancient being, but merely... a mortal queen.

Even so, the three great wizards did not show the slightest contempt or anger; on the contrary, they remained calm and spoke cautiously.

Helen slightly adjusted her glasses and spoke first:
"Your Majesty, you should understand that we have no ill intentions in coming here..."

However, before he could finish speaking, the Empress snorted coldly and interrupted him without any politeness.

A mocking glint appeared in those captivating phoenix eyes:
Clearly, in Her Majesty the Queen's eyes, the three Level 3 Grand Wizards' indulgence of the three Grand Dukes in secretly winning over nobles and gathering military forces was aimed at launching an attack on the royal family!

However, despite Her Majesty the Queen's almost impolite questioning, the High Priestess Helen remained unperturbed, her expression unchanged, and calmly continued:
"The furnace is in chaos and on the verge of collapse. It is only being held together by a few of us... That is why we have no choice but to come and ask for a clear answer: Her Majesty the Empress, where is Lord Spirit Eye?"

After she finished speaking, Helen remained calm, but Bodo and Mona beside her did not say anything more.

They simply stared intently at the Empress, their gazes devoid of hostility yet utterly unyielding.

This is their attitude.

The Spirit-Eyed Wizard has been missing for a long time, with no news of him.

During this time, the three level-three archmages tried every possible method, but still could not make any contact with the Spirit-Eyed Wizard.

They had tried to use Her Majesty the Queen's connections to find out the whereabouts of the Spirit Eye.

After all, this queen had an unusual relationship with the Spirit-Eyed Wizard.

However, each time, they were met with vague or seemingly reasonable but ultimately meaningless excuses.

Over time, it has evolved into the current oppressive scene.

The three level-three archmages were not without options, but they were unwilling to easily break ties with the royal family because of the Spirit Eye Furnace.

But they did not sit idly by and wait for their doom. Instead, they quietly supported three grand dukes, won over the nobles, and gradually eroded the royal power, using soft tactics to force the queen to respond.

At this moment, three fixed gazes fell upon the Empress, like three sharp blades, making the air seem to freeze.

Although the Queen still maintained her dignified demeanor, her delicate white hands gently caressed the bracelet that the Spirit-Eyed Wizard had personally left for her on her wrist.

That was her greatest protection and her last resort.

But she understood perfectly well.

The reason these three level-three archmages didn't directly attack wasn't because they were afraid of her "methods," but because they didn't want to truly break off relations.

Otherwise, even with all her various methods, so what? How could she possibly withstand three level-three archmages...?

Thinking of this, the Empress gritted her teeth, her composure barely concealing her inner struggle and anxiety.

How could she not want to find the Spirit Eye Wizard? If possible, she longed for the Spirit Eye's return more than anyone else.

But the cruel reality is that even she has completely lost contact.

She had no clue whether the once powerful Morning Star Wizard had met with an accident or deliberately gone into hiding.

All she knew was that the more unsuccessful her attempts to contact them, the more her unease grew.

Because her greatest reliance as empress was never the bracelet on her wrist, nor the few tricks left behind by Lingmou.

Rather, it was she herself, the "private property" that the Spirit-Eyed Wizard had personally acknowledged.

It was this special and ambiguous identity that allowed her to stand firmly in the eye of the storm, and even dare to speak rudely to three great wizards at the pinnacle of witchcraft.

but if……

If the Spirit-Eyed Wizard really does meet with an accident, then her so-called "private possession" status will instantly become worthless.

Everything she relies on—status, power, and prestige—will collapse in an instant.

From the peak to the abyss, never to recover.

Just as this heavy and oppressive situation of "coupling" was about to reach a critical point.

A black bolt of lightning suddenly struck down from the distant horizon!
The lightning initially appeared to be no bigger than a fingertip, silently streaking across the sky.

But in the blink of an eye, a dragon's roar, like that of an ancient beast awakening, suddenly resounded from above the clouds!

It was a dark shadow, a black dragon soaring through the heavens, slowly emerging from the depths of the storm.

Its wings were as black as ink, blotting out the sky and the sun; its body was long and slender, its back like a mountain.
The tall and elegant dragon head looked down at the brightly lit capital city below.

Even more shocking was that a human figure was standing on the back of the black dragon.

He was dressed in a black sorcerer's robe, his long hair fluttering wildly in the wind.

His eyes, like deep pools, swept across the capital city below with a cool yet calm gaze, making no attempt to conceal his true intentions.

"Just go down."

His voice was deep, yet carried an undeniable authority, "The aura just now... it seemed like there was a level three archmage present..."

At that moment, he said nothing more, his eyes calm.

Because he knew that within this kingdom, as long as no true Morning Star Wizard intervened, no one could shake his existence.

At this moment, he was fearless.

"Roar--!!"

A deafening dragon roar exploded outwards, like thunder from the heavens, striking the capital from the top of the clouds!

The capital city trembled, and the palaces roared!
Even the council hall, located deep within the palace and filled with magical restrictions, trembled violently as if it were in the eye of a storm, upon hearing this dragon's roar!
The three level-three archmages who had been pressuring the queen paused, their brows furrowed.

The dragon's roar that emanated in that instant caused their hearts to tremble slightly.

A hint of undisguised joy finally surfaced in the beautiful empress's phoenix eyes.

She looked up at the sky outside the palace, a slight smile playing on her lips, and a shattered hope in her heart began to quietly rekindle.

The three great wizards focused their gazes on the sky, their expressions solemn.

"That's... a black dragon?"

"Could it be that Lord Spirit Eye has returned?!"

Under the watchful eyes of four, the black dragon roared and slowly descended towards the palace.

And the figure on its back gradually became clearer.

(End of this chapter)